1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for logging a new device in to a wireless local area network (WLAN), more particularly to a login method in which login data is fully protected whenever a new device is logged in to a wireless local area network. The invention also relates to a wireless local area network system.
2. Description of the Related Art
To meet the requirements of information security and confidentiality, wireless local area network schemes, such as WiFi and 802.11a/b/g, usually require users to have security keys when accessing a wireless local area network so as to protect content of communications. For instance, 802.11a/b/g has key protection mechanisms of Wired-Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA).
Take the WEP key protection mechanism as an example. It primarily utilizes a multi-bit (40 bits) WEP key, and a multi-bit (24 or 128 bits) random number to generate a signature so as to encrypt data content of each packet transmitted between devices connected to a wireless local area network. By means of such a key protection mechanism, even if a third party is able to obtain the packet data, it is not possible to decrypt the encrypted content of the packet data without the WEP key.
Three current login schemes of establishing a key protection mechanism are exemplified by way of an example in which a wireless device is to log in to a wireless local area network environment.
In the first login scheme, the user inputs the settings value manually. The user must input a correct service set identifier (SSID) and a correct WEP key through the wireless device, which is to be added to the wireless local area network, before the wireless device can be logged in to the wireless local area network environment.
In the second login scheme, a mobile storage device is used to replicate a settings value of an SSID and a correct WEP key from a wireless device that has already logged into a wireless local area network to the wireless device that has yet to be logged in to the wireless local area network for setup purposes. Microsoft and Intel once proposed the use of a mobile storage device, such as a USB flash drive or the like, to transport or replicate the settings value to the wireless device that has yet to be logged in to a network.
In the third login scheme, “connect” buttons on two wireless devices that are to be interconnected and that are disposed in close proximity with each other are simultaneously pressed to establish automatic connection therebetween. At present, it is known that Broadcom company has proposed such a concept.
All of the above login schemes share a problem that there is not any effective secure authentication mechanism to permit safe transport or replication of the settings value of a wireless device that has already been logged in to a wireless local area network to a wireless device that has yet to be logged in to the wireless local area network, and to prevent theft of the settings value by a third party during the transport or replication process.